All’s Well, He’s Home, I’m Not

I guess that about sums up the situation. Elie called this morning to tell me he was already on the bus coming home. He offered to do the weekly shopping, if I leave him a list and a credit card (and a car).

I didn’t ask him on the phone why he wasn’t available the last few days. Perhaps it was just bad timing on my part. He’s fine. He’s home. He’s safe and I’m feeling very foolish for having let the worries get the better part of me last night. I think that’s what happens in the middle of the night – fears seem so much worse and with the rising of the sun, comes the setting of many of those concerns.

So, except for a case of burning eyes and a mad desire to just go home and sleep…all is once again well in our lives. I can think of a dozen other reasons why I couldn’t sleep last night (the economy, world-wide health scares, we are supposed to sign a contract to buy a house today, stupid arguments with other people, I can’t find a blue shirt, I need to finish a document today for a client, I have to write up three bills and send them, and yeah, I couldn’t reach Elie for a few days).

I think, to a larger extent – this was also a message from the Heavens. Just when you think you’ve got this soldier’s mother thing down and are feeling vastly more experienced than all those others who have sons that just went in, last night was a wake up call (literally) that there are no certainties in life. You take each day, and each night, as a blessing and you deal.

So, I dealt – not as well as I should have – but the night passed, I’ll sleep later. By now, Elie is probably home and sleeping himself. And no, I won’t tell him about the sleep I lost last night until I can laugh about it….which will likely be after I get some sleep for myself.

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1 Comment on All’s Well, He’s Home, I’m Not

Ah yes, the sleepless nights and worrisome times of a soldier’s mother. I cannot claim sons or daughters of my own participating in our wars, but have supported many wonderful soldiers through painful,stressful and very long days while overseas. The clock was many times my enemy. The night, silent and heavy. Thankfully, those individuals are home now.

We are a democratic country; so much so, we allow our enemies into our government and from the podium of our parliament, they have the freedom to call for policies that would destroy us.
Our current enemies, those who pose the most immediate threat lie to our north. This is Hizbollah land, where according to their leader Hassan Nasrallah, “We have discovered how to hit the Jews where they are the most vulnerable. The Jews love life, so that is what we shall take away from them. We are going to win, because they love life and we love death.”
Our enemies lie to the northeast. This is Syria. My sons have spent many months on the Golan Heights, including some tense days waiting to see how the Syrians would react after Israel sent planes to destroy a building widely believed to be the beginnings of a nuclear reactor. My oldest son fought near Gaza to help stop the rockets from being fired against Israel.
Our enemies lie further to the east. This is Iran, led by fanatics who promise that they will do all they can to accomplish in a few minutes more than what Adolf Hitler accomplished in six years of war. The Iranian leadership has made it clear in words and actions that they are after a nuclear bomb and that their goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Believe them.